North-south divide in buoyant market

THE trade for beef remained very firm at the factories this week, retaining the recent recovery in prices, and adding a little more in some situations, as the supply of cattle slipped well behind this time last year.

The lower intake of cattle over the past few weeks has been a factor in the recovery in prices.

So too have the slight improvement in demand for beef on Continental markets, and the tightening in the supply of cattle in Britain and on the continent over the past two weeks.